MY VIEW: Think before using loaded words

Socialism and fascism continue to creep into our lives, as they have for years, right under our eyes. We've blindly let it happen -- with subversive goals such as these: stimulating commerce and creating new jobs; ensuring public health, safety and public order; providing a minimum income and health care for the elderly and poor; and building an educated populace prepared to work and prepared to contribute something to our culture.

In Mobile this year, it hit me like a clap of thunder. That huge docks system that stretches mile after mile along the west side of Mobile Bay -- it's the Alabama State Docks. We, the taxpayers, own it.

Socialism.

Up the rivers of our state, entities owned by taxpayers operate some of the dams. Moreover, to claim my own precious right to catch fish in those rivers, our rivers, I even have to buy a license.

Socialism and fascism.

I had driven down to the port city on taxpayer-owned highways and bridges.

Socialism.

On the drive, I passed a huge automobile-manufacturing plant south of Montgomery, one built with the help of almost $250 million of direct and indirect taxpayer support. The same could be said of the automobile plants east and west of Birmingham.

Socialism.

During the drive, I was reminded that our cars and trucks show license tags that we're all required to buy, and I even have to pass a test to buy a driver's license. Why shouldn't I have the right to drive on our highways as I see fit? And why do I have to limit how fast or slow I can drive? Isn't that taking away other precious individual rights?

Speaking of cars and trucks -- and power plants and industries -- we've sat by and allowed government agencies to require them all to reduce pollution, when it's their business to operate their businesses and manufacture their products, their cars and trucks, as they see fit.

Fascism.

I passed near schools and colleges owned by taxpayers.

Socialism.

The state even requires us to make sure our children get an education -- for the collective good of our citizenry. The state can punish us if our children skip school.

Socialism, collectivism and fascism.

I stopped to eat on the way, in a restaurant controlled by a government agency that inspects for food safety and sanitation. That agency takes away the restaurant owner's individual rights to serve unhealthy, unclean food.

Fascism.

When I was growing up in north Alabama, a government-owned monopoly provided the low-cost power that my parents used to light, heat and cool our house. We suffered those low power rates in silence.

Socialism.

On the way to Mobile, I even drove near hospitals owned or supported by taxpayers.

Socialism.

And, this year, I began using my Medicare card and started drawing my Social Security payments.

Socialism.

Socialism and fascism continue to run rampant, and we taxpayers need to stop such trends before they turn around our economy, stimulate job growth and provide health insurance for the uninsured and uninsurable.

Socialism, schmocialism. Fascism, schmascism. We all need to think a bit more before we throw around such loaded words.

1CR>Bill Keller is retired and spent most of his career managing the Alabama Press Association. Most recently, he taught journalism at the University of Alabama. He lives in Mountain Brook. E-mail: kellercomm@charter.net.